


Another Christmas Already? Seriously, What The Elf?

by WritingToKeepMySanity



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Celebrity mentions, Christmas Decorations, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Party, Christmas Tree, F/M, Gen, Group chat, M/M, Punksies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2021-02-12 22:36:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21483955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WritingToKeepMySanity/pseuds/WritingToKeepMySanity
Summary: Disney proudly presents... Another Christmas Fic.
Relationships: Jack Kelly/Katherine Plumber Pulitzer, Spot Conlon/Racetrack Higgins
Comments: 79
Kudos: 29





	1. Punksies Christmas (1/3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a defiant move against her father, and in an attempt to make things more interesting for her, Katherine invites her boyfriend and friends to the annual Pulitzer Holiday Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm doing something a... little different? Not a full, one story, but not exactly 25 individual oneshots. Some stories span a couple of chapters and some are more oneshot-length, idk what's going on, enjoy?

“Oh, Katherine, come here for a minute?” her mother called as Katherine passed the kitchen.

Stopping, Katherine leaned against the doorway into the kitchen. “Yeah?”

“I need the names and addresses of the friends you want to invite to the party.”

Katherine tilted her head, drawing a blank as she tried to think. “Are Billy and Darcy on the list?”

“Mm… yes, the Reids and the Hearsts are on the list. Is there anyone, maybe from school, you want to invite?” Her mother was searching, Katherine knew. Jack had come over once or twice, fulfilling the ever-awkward “meet the parents” stage months ago, and Kate was always looking for ways to bring him back.

_Would the guys even go for it?_ Katherine wondered. The holiday party was always dull as all get-out, so it’s not the best incentive, but it’d make it more bearable for _her_.

Plus it would drive Joe crazy.

Katherine poked out her lip, thinking. “Can I just take—” _Jack, Davey, Charlie Race, Spot, Jojo… shit, who am I forgetting?_ “—seven invites? I’m going to see them now, anyways. I’ll make sure they RSVP,” she added quickly. “You’ll have their names on the list.”

“Oh, of course.” Her mom counted out seven invitations, crisp, white, and pristine, from the pile, handing them over to Katherine. “I need to know by Friday, I’m talking with the caterer then.”

“Oooh, is it Jacob again?” Kathering asked, tucking the invitations into her purse. “It has to be, right? He’s the best.”

Kate shot her a wink. “Locked him in six months ago. Oh, before I forget, do any of your friends have dietary restrictions I should tell Jacob about?”

Shrugging, Katherine thought. “One who keeps kosher, but we already have that for Dad. The others will eat pretty much anything you put in front of them.” She pulled out her phone, checking the time and seeing a text from Jack. “Oh, I have to head out. I’ll get them their invites and make sure they respond.” Ducking into the kitchen, she kissed her mom on the cheek. “Love you. I’ll be back Friday for dinner.”

“Love you, sweetheart,” Kate said absently, already shifting back into party-planning mode.

~*~

“On a scale of one to ten, how badly do you think this is going to go?” Katherine asked Jack when they met up at his and Davey on-campus apartment. Besides them, Spot and Race were the only ones who had their own apartment, and the rest had split up between the two apartments for Christmas break. Since the Higgins-Conlon apartment was all the way in Brooklyn, Jack and Davey's apartment had become the unofficial regular meeting place.

Jack considered that, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “Honestly? Could go either way.”

She sighed, tugging off her green beanie. “Sounds about right. Think the brownies might win me some points?”

"Depends. Didja make 'em?" Jack laughed when she butted him with her shoulder. "Relax, baby. You know 'em, they're gonna give ya a hard time an' then they're gonna say yes. S'how it always goes.”

"Yeah, but I've never asked them something like this," Katherine pointed out. She was suddenly feeling anxious about asking them. She'd gotten a hold of Charlie and Jojo on the way here, and they, with Jack, of course, had agreed, but those were her easy asks. It was something else entirely to ask Spot Conlon or Al DaSilva to a fancy alum party. "A Christmas party at my parents' house? That's crazy, maybe I should—"

Jack stopped her, pulling her close, and she went willingly, breathing in his leather jacket and cologne and something that was definitely from the studio, some kind of oil she knew he used on his canvases. It was an odd combination, but it was one that grounded her all the same. "Ya want them there, they'll be there," he said, sounding more certain than she felt. "Just start with the brownies."

She huffed a laugh, burrowing into his arms a moment longer before pulling back. "Okay. Here goes nothing."

Jack pushed open the door for her, allowing her to step through to the apartment. The sight was nothing she hadn't seen before—Davey hunched over the tiny desk he and Jack had found at a little thrift store, pecking at his ancient laptop, Spot and Race stretched out on the couch, with Albert sitting in front of them in a perfect splits. 

"Hey guys," Jack said. "Gotta lady in the house, make yaselves decent."

"She's seen it all before," Al deadpanned, still slouched over.

Katherine wrinkled her nose. It was definitely true, but she wasn't necessarily looking for a second viewing. 

Race poked his head over the couch. "Hey, Princess. What'dja bring us?" 

"Really?" She raised an eyebrow. "No 'hey Katherine, how are you, how are finals, wow, your hair looks nice, please, allow me to move so you can have a seat'?"

He tilted his head. "You new here or what? I will mention ya hair, we gotta do some serious touch-up soon." 

"Look who's talking." Katherine tugged on the end of his curls. The bright pink he'd dyed his hair was growing out, showing dark blond roots. She tossed him the container. "Brownies. Go nuts."

The word "brownies" got the boys' attention, even pulling Al out of his splits and causing Davey to look up from his computer. Spot, however, looked at her suspiciously, not touching the brownies. "What's with the baked goods, Pulitzer? What's ya want?"

"Who says I want anything?" she asked. Jack nudged her with his elbow and she sighed, scrunching her nose. He was right, no use in delaying the inevitable. "Okay, fine. These aren't just brownies."

"Knew it," Spot deadpanned, leaning against the arm of the couch.

Race gasped dramatically. _"Brib'ry_ _brownies_? Katherine Pulitzer, you should be a_shamed_ of yaself."

"Gotta say," Al added, shoving a brownie in his mouth. "'S a nice change in pace, seein' you askin' us f'r shit f'r once. Carry on with the bribin'."

With her cover effectively blown, Katherine had no choice but to face the music. Without looking at any one person, mainly fixating on a piece of wall, she said, in a rush, "My family does this big party every year, mostly alumni and some faculty, and I always get to invite people, and I was hoping you guys would want to come, I have your invitations here." Thrusting her hand in her bag, she pulled the fistful of invitations out and all but threw them at Davey, who was nearest to her. 

She was met with quiet, and she finally shifted her gaze to look at them. Davey held the invitations uncertainly and the other guys suddenly seemed to have trouble looking at her. Jack stood in solidarity next to her. He'd already said yes, but Katherine knew he wouldn't force any of them to go too. She also knew that if none of the boys wanted to go, Jack would have a harder time enjoying himself at the party.

Race was the first to speak up. “Uh, several questions. First, does ya dad know we’s invited?”

Katherine shrugged a shoulder. “No, and probably won’t until the party. Mom does the invites.”

“Doesn’t your dad… hate us?” Davey asked carefully, holding the invitations gingerly.

Katherine pursed her lips. “Technically, he just hates the arts program, which I know most of you are in, but he doesn’t hate _you_ specifically. Except Al,” she amended as an afterthought. “He actually does hate Al.” 

Clicking his tongue, Al shot her a finger gun.

“Yeah, I think it has to do with the tree you took to the Homecoming game,” she added.

“It was my date!” Albert said, tone defensive.

“It was also a gift from the class of 2010!" Katherine said. "How did you even get it uprooted?”

“That’s my secret and I ain’t tellin’ you. An’ I ain’t goin’ somewheres where people hate me,” Al grumbled.

“How do ya go anywhere then?” Spot asked, not looking up from his phone.

“Okay!" Katherine cut them off, knowing this could go off the tracks very quickly. "Albert, my mom always uses the same caterer, he knows me, he loves me, I can make sure you get first pass at all appetizers.”

Al narrowed his eyes at her. “He any good?”

“He’s the best," she swore, crossing her heart for good measure. "Crab cakes to die for.”

He thought about that for a moment before finally shrugging a shoulder. “Aight. I’m in.”

“Yes! I got Al. Who else?" Katherine asked. "I’m not above begging and bribing.”

“How much?” Race asked, raising an eyebrow.

Before she could answer, Davey said, “I’ll go. No bribe necessary.”

Katherine just barely held in a breath of relief. Davey was just as much an unofficial leader of their group as Jack was, it wouldn't take much to get the others to follow. "Alright, Spot? Race? _Please_?"

Race looked like he was considering it while Spot looked like he'd rather take a flying leap off the Brooklyn Bridge than have to answer her question. She had a couple of last big cards to play, she just had to be careful how she played them.

Chancing it, she played the first one. "You know, several noted alumni are expected to attend," she tried to say casually. "And, for the last three years, a certain celebrity couple has made a point to stop by for an hour or two."

"This thing's longer'n an hour?" Spot grumbled.

Race raised an eyebrow. "Freddie an' Sarah?"

"Not alumni," Katherine pointed out. "Try again?"

"Don't ask, he'll just keep goin'," Jack muttered beside her. 

"Fair point," she amended. "Kristen and Dax."

Race's eyebrows shot up. "Shut up."

"Rude. And it's true, the last three years they've been there, and they've already responded for this year, said they'll be there." White lie, but if they didn't show up, she'd cross that bridge when she came to it. "So? Race?"

"_Fuck yeah_ I'm in," he said, moving to grab an invitation from Davey.

Katherine turned her gaze on Spot, who was still on his phone. When the room went quiet, he looked up. "Wha'?" 

"Come on, Spot. It'll be—" _Fun_ was probably a lie, especially for them. Hell, it wasn't fun for her half the time. Mostly she, Billy, and Darcy snuck off to swipe booze from the liquor cabinet. 

"Fun," Race finished, and Katherine let him. Wasn't her lie now. "C'mon Spotty. Fancy party, fancy cocktails."

"Yeah, Spotty," she added. "Besides, you wouldn't want to leave Jojo and Charlie all alone, would you?" Her last card. If this didn't work, she was out of ideas. Of course Jojo and Charlie could handle themselves, but the two of them had such a "kid-brother" quality to them, they were all naturally protective of them.

"Really? Usin’ Crutchie an’ Jojo ‘gainst me?" Spot said, calling her bluff.

“Yup. Because I play to win, bitch."

She felt Jack shake slightly next to her with laughter, but didn't say anything. 

Spot stared her down a long moment, raising an eyebrow. Katherine raised one back. 

Race nudged Spot with an elbow. "We c'n make out in the closet when no one's lookin'."

Katherine nodded. "You might have to fight Kristen and Dax for a spot, but that can be arranged."

Spot finally broke the stare-down, looking down at Race, who gave him an equally pleading look. He sighed. "Fine, whatever, I'll go to the stupid party, stop starin' at me."

Barely resisting the urge to squeal, Katherine broke into a grin. "Oh my god, thank you guys. It's probably going to be super boring, but this means so much to me. Now," she quickly shifted to business-mode. "I promised my mom you’d RSVP, and you need to do that _now_.”

“Why?” Race asked.

“Because I know you and I don’t trust you,” she said bluntly. “There’s a card in the invites, just circle yes and give them to me.”

There was a shuffle of paper as Davey, Race, Spot, and Albert pulled out the invitations from their envelopes to find the RSVP cards.

“What, no plus one?” Al asked, having the nerve to look affronted.

“What, are you gonna bring your tree again?” Katherine shot back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy December first! Please join me for this trainwreck I call a fic. Please fasten your seatbelts and keep all limbs inside the car while the vehicle is in motion. ;)
> 
> Famous couples mentioned here: Freddie Prinze Jr and Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard.
> 
> Once again, my uncle’s infamous actions make an appearance—he somehow took a tree to graduation with him. 
> 
> I'd love to know what you think!!
> 
> xx


	2. Punksies Christmas (2/3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the day of the party, everyone starts having second thoughts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> all I have to say is... good luck with the formatting. chat chapter!

**Spot + Kathy**

_Spot (5:13 pm): wat the hell does "black tie optional" mean_

_Kathy (5:16 pm): For you?_

_Kathy (5:16 pm): Please just wear a shirt with sleeves_

_Spot (5:18 pm): god. fine._

**we cant agree on a name**

_Spotty (5:17 pm): gotta borrow a shirt_

_Spotty (5:17 pm): 1 w/sleeves _

_JackAss (5:18 pm): u know its like 2hrs before the party right?_

_Spotty (5:18 pm): thats y i need a shirt dumbass_

_Spotty (5:19 pm): u n dave r out_

_Spotty (5:19 pm): 2 tall_

_JackAss (5:20 pm): get a shirt from race_

_Spotty (5:21 pm): 2 skinny_

_Jojo (5:22 pm): i'm out then. sorry!_

_5oclockCharlie (5:22 pm): were p close in size spot wnt one of mine?_

**Spot + Crutch**

_Spot (5:23 pm): yeah whatcha got kid? bring it over_

**legally we're blonde**

_Race (5:24 pm): whatever u do dont bring spot a blue shirt_

_Crutchie (5:25 pm): why?_

_Race (5:26 pm): wont wear it. trust me bring anything but blue_

**Jackie<3 + Kath<3**

_Kath<3 (5:45 pm): Was this a terrible idea?_

_Jackie<3 (5:47 pm): kinda late to be _ _askin aint it?_

_Kath<3 (5:47 pm): I mean it, if you guys want to bail, you can._

_Kath<3 (5:47 pm): No judgement._

_Jackie<3 (5:50 pm): and deny al his chance 2 wear his new hat? hed kill me._

_Kath<3 (5:50 pm): Hat?_

**Secretly we're Weasleys**

_Kat (5:50 pm): What is this I hear about a new hat?_

_*'Al' is typing'_

**Jack + Al**

_Al (5:52 pm): dude the hat was a surprise wat gives_

_Jack (5:53 pm): u didnt tell kath abt the hat?_

_Al (5:55 pm): no unlike rest of u i dont need some girl to pick out my clothes_

**Secretly we're Weasleys**

_*'Al' is typing*_

_Kat (5:56 pm): Albert, I know you're doing that thing where you hit the space bar so it shows you're typing._

_*'Al' is typing*_

**Jack + Al**

_Al (5:56 pm): damn _ _shes good_

**we cant agree on a name**

_Spotty (5:56 pm): ok crutchie doesnt work_

_5oclockCharlie (5:57 pm): ITS NOT MY FAULT UR UPPER BODY IS DISPROPORTIONATE_

_Spotty (5:57 pm): so that leaves_

_Spotty (5:58 pm): oh god_

**Spot + Kathy**

_Spot (5:59 pm): u sure it has to have sleeves_

_Kathy (6:00 pm): I mean, if you don't have a collared shirt, a long sleeve shirt or whatever is fine_

_Spot (6:01 pm): dammit_

**Asshole + Asshole**

_Asshole (6:01 pm): hey dipshit can i borrow a shirt_

_Asshole (6:03 pm): pls. if i give u a shirt then ull want my hat&i aint givin u my hat_

_Asshole (6:03 pm): quick question is it possible 4 u not to be a total idiot_

**we hate spot conlon club**

_Race (6:04 pm): al for the love of god give spot a shirt_

_Race (6:04 pm): and change the chat nm this aint the brad pitt ep of friends_

_Al (6:07 pm): FINE JESUS come ovr & get 1 i dont trust him goin thru my things_

_Al (6:07 pm): hey think brad pitt will b @ this thing_

**Secretly we're Weasleys**

_*'Al' is typing*_

_Al (6:08 pm): hey is brad pitt gonna b there?_

_Kat (6:09 pm): Why would Brad Pitt be here?_

_Al (6:13 pm): idk. fancy parties celebrities thought bp might b there_

_Kat (6:15 pm): It's a party for FACULTY and ALUMNI_

_Al (6:16 pm): ..._

_Al (6:16 pm): so he gonna be there or wat_

_Kat (6:17 pm): Show me your hat and I'll tell you._

_Al (6:18 pm): ITS A SURPRISE _

**we cant agree on a name**

_JackAss (6:20 pm): if ur driving w/ me&davey were leaving in 5_

_Spotty (6:21 pm): me&race leaving then 2 _

_Spotty (6:21 pm): so dont be late al_

_JackAss(6:21 pm): al be on time_

_Walking Mouth (6:22 pm): Weird._

_Apathetic Redhead (6:23): wait y am i the only 1 singled out?_

_Jojo (6:23 pm): u guys are never on the same page_

_JackAss (6:25 pm): yeah lets never do that again_

_Spotty (6:25 pm): id agree but then id have to kill u_

_Spotty: (6:26 pm): ok were out_

_JackAss (6:27 pm): us too_

_5oclockCharlie (6:39 pm): uhm guys?_

_5oclockCharlie (6:39 pm): u left me_

_Apathetic Redhead (6:40 pm): dumb kids just too damn slow_

**Jackie<3 + Kath<3**

_Kath<3 (7:12 pm): Are you sure you want to be here?_

_Kath<3 (7:12 pm): Like, really do, not in a "I love my girlfriend so I'll go to to this stupid party but secretly despise her forever because of it" kind of way?_

_Jackie<3 (7:15 pm): already outside ur door_

_Jackie<3 (7:15 pm): swear theres no place else i wanna be_

~*~

Jack wished he was literally anywhere else but in front of the Pulitzer home.

It wasn't _his_ first time meeting Joe and Kate Pulitzer, but it was definitely the biggest event he'd ever been to with them, and he may have been trying to make an impression. He'd traded his boots for a pair of Davey's slick, pointy shoes that were a size too big on him, and while he hadn't given up his jacket—none of them had, now that he looked closely, like their jackets were some kind of armor and this was some kind of battle they couldn't face without it—his jeans had no holes in them and he wore one of the few button-downs he actually owned. 

They all stood for a moment, huddled together, staring at the wooden door with a festive-looking wreath on it. He didn't think there was ever a time they looked so dressed-up, all buttoned-up and almost respectable.

It was hard to tell if it was that or the foreboding wooden door standing between them and the party that made everyone look slightly uncomfortable. 

Then that wooden door was swinging open and the one person who they'd even consider putting up with all this for was grinning at them, lips painted as bright red as her dress.

"Hey guys," Katherine said. "Come on in."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brad Pitt is actually a Missouri alumni, which I had no idea until I looked up about twenty minutes before posting this, so that's cool
> 
> I can't decide if I'm splitting the last bit into two chapters or keeping it all as one, so you're all just going to have to be surprised with me tomorrow to see if we wrap up the Punksies party or not XD
> 
> I'd love to know what you think!!
> 
> xx


	3. Punksies Christmas (3/3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Pulitzer party turns out... about how you'd think it'd go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally did not expect to have to go into detail about Al's hat, but [here you go](https://images.app.goo.gl/oCfpeAXAL1QpWzSH7)
> 
> gotta admit this took a turn I wasn't ready for so... sorry??

"Come in, it's cold out," Katherine said, rubbing her bare arms as goosebumps broke out on her skin. There was a wariness among the guys that she hadn't seen since she first met them, when they were unsure what to make of her hanging out with them. The uneasiness was practically tangible, and she knew it had nothing to do with how they were dressed, or that they were out in the cold.

Resolving to duck back in long enough to grab her coat—the off-shoulder dress had looked good in the store, but definitely impractical for the weather—Katherine was shocked that Albert was the first one to break from the group.

"Heard there was crab cakes to kill at this thing," he said when she gave him a curious look. "An' s'cold as fuck out there, only reason 'm comin' in."

"Alright, I'll take it," she laughed, before looking up and adding, "Hey, nice hat, Al."

He tipped said hat at her. It was a steampunk-style top hat, complete with goggles perched on the brim and criss-crossing chains and gears and a faux bright red rose. "Yeah? Thought it looked spiffy."

"Honestly, the hat's not as bad as I thought it'd be," Katherine said, impressed. She'd had no idea what "new hat" meant, but it was suiting. "Very Brenden Urie."

With Al past the threshold, it was a little easier to coax the others in. She grabbed Jack's hand as he passed. "Hey, I like your hair like that," she told him, reaching a hand up to brush her fingers over the spot above his ear.

He wrinkled his nose, the hand not in hers going to rub his neck. "Yeah? Think it looks kinda dumb."

Katherine tilted her head. It was rare to see Jack without his hair so heavily gelled, even after a year, but he'd barely used any tonight. It was still in the same sort-of fauxhawk he'd had since she met him, and was still dark purple, but rather than slicking it all up, he'd just done the fringe. She nodded decisively. "No, it looks good." She pushed up on her toes, kissing his jaw. "_Very_ sexy," she added.

The tips of his ears turned red and she grinned, pulling him into the house where the rest of the guys were standing in the foyer, looking slightly lost and waiting for her.

"Jackets on or off?" she asked, gesturing to coat closet next to them. When none of them made a move to take their coats off, Katherine waved a hand towards the living room, where the party was already off to a decent start. "The bar's in that corner, my dad's in the other corner if you want to steer clear, Kristen and Dax are _not_ here yet, upstairs is off-limits, and Al, food's in the kitchen. And thank you again for coming, I swear, stay as long or as short as you want."

"Bye," Spot said, spinning on his heel. 

Race grabbed his shoulders, steering him to the corner with the bar. "I got 'im." Al followed them, splitting off to head towards the kitchen.

Bit by bit, they split up, mingling throughout the crowd. Katherine tried to stay close to the guys to help break the ice, but pretty soon, Spot and Race were practically glued by the bar, Al hadn't emerged from the kitchen, and Crutchie and Jojo had found the two other people they know and struck up a conversation.

"Hey, Dave," she heard Jack say behind her. "Isn't that—"

"Maybe? But I didn't think he left campus."

_Who_? Katherine thought, turning and trying to follow their gaze to see who they were talking about.

"He's the reason we still got the art program, y'know," Jack said, and Katherine finally caught a glimpse of who they were talking about. Mr. Roosevelt, the art college's dean, was talking to her mother. "Even afta' Pulitzer tried t' shut it down, he kept it 'round."

"Hey," she said, stepping up behind them, interrupting them, and, if their reactions were anything to go off of. "You know, you _could_ just go talk to him."

Jack gave her an incredulous look over his shoulder. "What, go up an' just _talk_ t' him, are ya crazy—?"

Katherine gripped their arms, pulling them towards Mr. Roosevelt just as her mother stepped away. "Hi, Mr. Roosevelt," she said in a cheery voice. "This is my boyfriend, Jack, and our friend David.”

“Well, hello Katherine!” Mr. Roosevelt said in his booming voice, and Katherine let go of Jack and Davey’s arms so he could shake their hands. “Are you boys in the art program?”

Jack and Davey seemed incapable of speech for a moment and, when Mr. Roosevelt shot her a questioning look, Katherine saw Jack mouth “_oh my god_” to Davey over her head.

”Jack is,” she said, taking his arm and shaking him out of it a little. “Davey’s an education major.”

"Really, now? What age?" 

Davey gaped a moment before he managed to choke out, "Secondary. Middle an' high school."

"Any particular subject?"

"History an' civics." Davey's voice was getting stronger, and he looked less like he was about to pass out.

Mr. Roosevelt nodded approvingly. "Two of my favorite subjects, good lad." He turned his attention to Jack. "Do you know about the student art show at the end of the school year?"

Jack nodded mutely before seemingly unclenching his jaw and finally saying, "Yeah. M'advisor thinks I got some good pieces I c'n show. Workin' on a couple others."

Squeezing Jack's hand, and feeling him squeeze back, Katherine let go, drifting over to the bar for a moment, surveying the room. Jack and Davey were loosening up, talking to Mr. Roosevelt, while Charlie and Jojo had found Billy and Darcy and were talking about something spirited from the looks of it. From her spot at the bar, she could see into the kitchen when the door swung open as servers went in and out, and Al looked happy enough. Even Spot, beer in his hand and Race at his side, was starting to look more relaxed—as relaxed as Spot Conlon could be, she supposed. 

Just as she was starting to think she could relax too, a voice spoke from behind her. "Katherine. May I have a moment of your time?" 

And there went her shoulders, practically up by her ears again.

Turning, Katherine gave her father forced smile. "Sure, Dad. Your study?" 

Stepping aside, he allowed her to lead the way down the hallway to the mahogany doors of her father's study. Twisting the brass handle, she stepped inside, arms coming around herself. It felt colder in here than it had outside.

Sitting in one of the plush chairs in front of her father's desk, Katherine waited for him to speak first—it was better that way, to let him start the dialogue, easier to gauge just where his temper was at.

Behind his desk, Joe Pulitzer steepled his fingers, resting his index fingers against his chin, not speaking for a long moment. 

When he did, his voice came out low and steady. "Just what do you think you're doing, Katherine?" 

She arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Bringing those... boys, into my home, in front of my colleagues?" His voice held no waver in it, and Katherine idly wondered if he'd rehearsed this little speech. "Do you know how they make me look? How _you_ make me look, inviting them and parading them around?" 

Katherine took a breath before she spoke. "Mom said I could invite friends, and my _boyfriend_, to the party. And they just happen to be students of the college you're dean of, so I think it makes you look like a dean who cares enough about students to have them in his home—"

"No, see, Katherine. I understand you're in college and you're still out there... discovering yourself and whatnot, so I can understand how you have friends like that, but bringing them in my home gives the appearance that I let certain riffraff in my school—"

"Riffraff?" Katherine almost wanted to laugh; this whole thing was ridiculous. "What, because they have tattoos and dye their hair? They have a few piercings? Dad, heads up, I do that."

"Yes, and you're making that quite clear aren't you?" her father spat out, gesturing to her. Katherine resisted the urge to cover the flower sleeve on her left arm with her hand or reach back to feel the short, cropped hair of her undercut, visible under the bun she'd pulled her hair back in. "I thought—I'd _hoped_—that this was a phase, some delayed teenage rebellion, but after this display—"

"A display?" Katherine scoffed. "I'm just myself, and myself happens to have some tattoos now, and a different haircut. And my friends are just themselves too."

He stared at her a long moment, something like pity in his eyes. "Yourself, hm? My daughter, the disappointment, just being herself, is that it?" 

Tears prickled at the backs of her eyes, threatening to spill over, but she wouldn't allow that in front of him, wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing he'd won. There'd been several times in her life she knew she'd disappointed her father, but this attack was unlike anything she'd witnessed from him before. 

The room was too cold and the walls were closing in on her, so Katherine abruptly stood, turning away from her father and practically slamming the study door open to escape into the hallway. 

She took several deep breaths, the sounds and smells and warmth from the party slowly registering, and when she no longer felt like she was about to burst into tears, Katherine edged back down the hallway to see how the boys were doing. 

Scanning the room, she was able to pick them out, one by one, but something was different this time. Mr. Roosevelt had disappeared, leaving Jack and Davey alone and looking tense in the middle of the room; Charlie was leaning against a wall, adjusting his prosthetic foot while Billy and Darcy continued talking, clearly without him—even Jojo looked bored, and she'd never seen that look on his face. She couldn't find Al or Race or Spot, and she tried not to feel hurt by that. She told them they could stay as long as they wanted, and, clearly, they had. 

(The part of her brain that wasn't hurt that they hadn't even said goodbye was frantically hoping Albert was driving after she'd seen both Race and Spot drinking)

Katherine hadn't thought she'd have expectations for the party—it was just something that happened every year and she'd wanted to share it with her friends and with Jack, but she hadn't eased them into it. She just threw them in and hoped for the best. She knew she came from a vastly different background than any of the boys but she'd never seen it so clearly before now, and now they were uncomfortable and leaving and she couldn't help but wonder if this was an end she wasn't ready for.

Turning on her heel, she climbed the stairs, barely making it to the top before the tears she'd been holding in started to fall. 

Katherine barely made it to the window seat before she heard footsteps behind her, and she looked up to see Jack climbing up after her.

"Thought upstairs was off-limits. Or do I get a pass on account'a 'm so sexy?" he joked, taking a step closer to her. He stopped. "Hey, what's wrong, baby?"

Ducking her head so he'd couldn't see her face, she shrugged a shoulder.

Jack scoffed softly, sitting next to her. "That's convincin'. Wanna try again?"

The words came tumbling out her, along with hot tears. “I got into a fight with my dad, and no one’s having a good time, I had to bribe everyone with food, or celebrity sightings, or—” There was a muffled _thump_! from a closet down the hallway and Katherine groaned. “—makeout closet space. I just thought, I don’t know, it’d be fun to have you guys here, but I shouldn’t have asked.”

“Hey, no, c’mere, darlin’,” Jack said, tugging her into him, one arm around her shoulder, her legs across his lap. "Whaddaya mean no one's havin' fun?"

She swiped at her eyes with her first, leaving a streak of mascara on her skin. "Albert, Spot, and Race already left, and the rest of you looked so miserable, and that's just not fair to you."

His arm tightened around her shoulders. "Kath'rine, I promise ya, none'a us are miserable." She gave him a disbelieving look. "Okay, just a li'l. But that's 'cause ya disappeared, an' you're the only one who knows how t' talk to the fancy people."

A laughed slipped out, sounding bubbly with her tears, and she hid her face in his neck.

He smoothed a hand down her back. “The guys give ya a hard time, but they wouldn’t’a come if they didn’t wanna be here.”

Katherine scoffed. “Yeah, right.”

“Nah, I mean it. I tell ya, some days they like you better’n they like me. Techn'cally, 'm sworn to secret, but all of them’s told me in no uncertain terms that if I eva’ got stupid ‘nough to leave ya, Miss Medda’d never find m’body. They’s here ‘cause they wanna be, ‘cause you wanted them.”

Pulling back, she studied his face. She was mostly sure he was joking—no one gave the shovel talk anymore, and if they did, surely they'd be giving it to her, not Jack. Still, she asked, “Really?”

Jack nodded, his earrings jangling softly. “Swear. An’ if ya wanna go, they’ll be the first out. And Spot, Race, an' Al didn't leave. Race an' Spot're prob'ly makin' good use of a closet somewhere, an' Al's followin' around one'a the servers he either thinks is cute or has the best food. Kinda hard to tell."

Katherine laughed again, starting to feel less like bursting into tears. But she still didn't want to go back to the party downstairs. She didn't need her father's knowing glances—or her mother's, once she got wind—so she straightened up, pulling her legs off Jack's lap. "Yeah. If you don't think the guys will mind. Let's get out of here and find some real food."

"Ya sure?" he asked.

She nodded. 

“Aight then." He ducked his head to kiss her quickly. "I’ll grab Spot an’ Race from the closet an’ we’ll split.”

He left her on the window bench to move towards the closet they heard noise from earlier.

Katherine sniffled, brushing under her eyes, careful to wipe away any smeared makeup. “Careful,” she warned. “That might not be something you can come back from.”

Jack scoffed. “Ain’t nothin’ I ain’t seen before.”

He opened the door, saying something she couldn’t make out, that was quickly drowned out by a high-pitched voice.

A voice that definitely didn’t belong to Spot _or_ Race.

“I—uh—oh, shit, ‘m sorry, I—I, uh….” Jack stammered, quickly backing away from the closet. “I, uh, loved ya in_Veronica Mars_, ‘kay, sorry,” he mumbled, letting the door close.

Turning on his heel, he grabbed her hand to pull her down the stairs. “We gotta go. _Now_.”

“Huh, upstairs. That’s new.”

~*~

They ended up at a Waffle House halfway between campus and her parents' house, and Katherine could feel the tension melting the further away they got. Sleeves were rolled up, top buttons were undone—Spot lost the whole shirt somewhere along the way and was just wearing a black t-shirt. Katherine kicked off her heels in exchange for a pair of Converse she thought might've been Crutchie's based on size that had been trapped in the trunk of Jack's car. 

She laughed as Jack kicked off shoes that were definitely not his, as soon as he parked, handing them to her one at a time. "How in the world did you wear these? Davey's like a size twenty."

"Hey!" Davey protested from the backseat. 

"Davey, don't argue wit' her," Charlie said, laughing. "I dunno how ya get around with those things. An' _I_ only gots one foot."

Davey huffed. "I know, but still."

Katherine laughed, watching Jack step out of the car in his socked feet. "Are you going in barefoot?"

He shook his head, laughing a little as well. "Nah, I got th'shoes Medda makes me wear 'round backstage in the trunk, I'll wear those in."

They piled out of the two cars, spilling into the restaurant that was empty besides a couple of waitresses and the cook in the back. 

"Alright," Katherine said as they squeezed into a couple of tables. "For forcing you into attending such an awful party, waffles are on me." 

Whoops went up around the table, and Katherine settled next to Jack, curling her hand in his, toying with his rings as he pressed a kiss to her hair. 

After they ordered and got their food, she finally felt the last of the tension in her shoulders relax, and she leaned her head on Jack's shoulder, listening to the guys around her.

"Hey, Kath," Charlie said, catching her attention. "We gotcha somethin'."

"Call it an early Christmas present," Race added, bouncing in his seat.

A package was passed down the table towards her and Katherine accepted it from Davey. "Guys, you didn't have to do this," she said, turning the present in her hands. Ducking her head a little towards Jack, she asked in a whisper, "Should I be scared?" 

"No idea what that is, babe," he said, shrugging. "Which prob'ly means ya should be scared."

"We know how t' pick out presents, asshole," Al said, shoving his waffle in his mouth.

"Al, f'r my last birthday, ya gave me a _hug_," Jack pointed out.

Albert shrugged. "We don't know each other that well, Jackie."

"I've known ya since we was fourteen."

"Okay!" Katherine said, holding up a hand. "I'll open it, stop fighting, children." She turned the present over again, shaking it a little. The bright, shiny red wrapping paper was wrapped a lot neater than she would have expected, especially considering the last year of present-giving events she'd been to. If she had to guess, she'd say Davey wrapped it. Or maybe Jojo, he had a vibe.

Tearing open the package, she revealed a white box. Glancing up, she noticed Charlie, Race, and Jojo looking expectantly, craning their necks. Spot, Albert, and Davey were far less obvious, but they were still waiting for her to open the box. Even Jack had leaned in to look over her shoulder. 

Lifting off the top, Katherine picked up a heavy jacket, buttery smooth leather under her hands. Turning it, she could see patches sewn on by the guys. A bi flag on the shoulder, a duck near the bottom by the zipper, a "Nasty Women Read" on the pocket, a bright purple rose over the heart. 

And on the back, right in the middle was a little New York skyline, just like all the guys had on their jackets. 

"Guys," she breathed, tears springing to her eyes, the first happy tears all night. "This is so nice," she said, her voice breaking. "I love it so much. Thank you.""

Jack moved the box from her lap so she could shrug on the jacket, and helped settle it around her shoulders.

"This is so perfect, I think I left my coat at my parents'," she said, flipping her hair over the collar.

Al slapped a hand on the table. "Dammit!" 

She shot him a look. "Don't worry, Al, I'm sure I'll be able to get it back. I just have to go home."

"Nah, it ain't that. I snuck some of those quiche thingies in your coat. Now I'll neva get 'em back."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so last November (aka my prep time) and this last week and a half of school have and are literally kicking my ass, so, while I hope that I will actually have 25 daily chapters, I just don't know if I can make that promise. I mean, this chapter just barely made it on December 3rd. So. I'll try my best, but I hope you all understand that there's just so much in my life working against me getting these chapters written and edited and posted. I really want to, I wouldn't be doing this otherwise, I just don't know if I physically can.
> 
> anyways..
> 
> mad love and respect to Kristen and Dax, I love them, but let's be real, they have a vibe.
> 
> fun fact for all the new readers! the guys all know how to sew on their own patches because Medda got tired of them always asking her so she sat them all down and taught them.
> 
> I'd love to know what you think!  
xx


	4. O Christmas Tree, O... No.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Katherine and Pete on the way home for Christmas, and their tree half-dead, the rest of the Kelly clan scramble to save the Christmas spirit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ["Carol of the Bells"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHBEo_p5yB87) to set the mood.

None of them noticed for almost two weeks.

Well, Jack supposed Pete was off the hook, being at NYU for most of the two weeks. Which was probably how it happened, when he thought about it. He was the most likely to notice something like this and fix it. Add that to Katherine being in Vermont to handle family matters, she wasn’t to blame for it happening either.

In hindsight, leaving Jack, Corey, and Lucy alone was just asking for trouble.

“Dad?” Lucy said, tilting her head at the tree, pushing her glasses up her nose. “Something’s wrong with the tree.”

“What’cha mean, Lucy-Goose?”

“I mean it looks terrible.”

“She’s right, Dad,” Corey said, going to stand by Lucy. “S’lookin’ dead.”

“What?” Jack finally pulled himself from the table to see what they were looking at. “Can’t be dead, we just got it,” he said, approaching the tree in the living room. Sure enough, more than a few needles were scattered on the floor and the ones still on the tree were brown and dry. “Yeah, no, that’s dead alright. Aight, ‘fess up, who forgot to water the tree?”

Corey and Lucy exchanged a look, the tree lights reflecting on their glasses, making it impossible to read who was guilty. “C’mon, ain’t gonna be mad, just—”

“Dad, you were supposed to water it,” Lucy said.

Oh right. Used to be, he and Kath were the ones who watered the tree, but once the kids had been old enough, they started switching off between them, drawing a name out of a hat every year.

And this year had been his turn.

Lucy poked one of the branches, causing more dead needles to shower the floor. "It's like the tree in Charlie Brown," she said, poking another branch, with similar results. "So sad. I wanna wrap a blanket around it." 

She reached out to poke a third branch, and Jack pulled her back. "Alright, we get it, quit pokin' at it." He sighed. It had to be _him_, forgetting to water the tree, huh? They couldn't leave it like that, it was still almost a full two weeks until Christmas, and Pete and Kath would be home the next day. If they didn't notice it then—which they would—they'd definitely notice by Christmas.

Pete might not care so much, but in the last few months, Katherine had lost her great-aunt, been to Vermont three times, seen Joe in the hospital twice, sent Pete off to college, and watched Bryan Denton retire.

And now her husband's gone and killed the Christmas tree.

Glancing up at the clock over the mantle, Jack sighed again. "Alright, go get'cha coats and shoes on, we c'n make it t' the tree lot 'fore it closes."

~*~

"All'a the good trees're gone. How're they all gone?" Jack complained as they drove away from the lot. 

"'Cause everyone got all'a the good trees weeks 'go, Dad. Like us," Corey said. 

Lucy drummed her hands on the back of Jack's seat, something that vaguely sounded like "Carol of the Bells". Jack tried not to wince, just be happy that she left the drumsticks at home. "Alright, 'm open t' any ideas. Anythin' we c'n do before tomorrow."

Lucy's hands stilled on the his headrest. "Ooh, Corey, what 'bout classy Christmas?" 

"Classy Christmas?" Jack asked, glancing at her in the rearview mirror.

Corey looked thoughtful. "That could work. Think Mom'd buy it?"

"If we get the right tree, I think we can pull it off," Lucy said with a nod. "Can you keep your mouth shut?"

Corey groaned, dropping his head on the headrest with a _thump_! "I _ain't _that bad."

"You're literally worse than Uncle Davey when it comes to secrets—"

"Am _not_—!"

"Okay!" Jack raised a hand before this thing spiraled before they had settled on a solution. "What's this 'classy Christmas' thing the two'a ya are goin' on about?"

"Like from _The Office_," Lucy said like it was obvious. "They got a fake tree, but hid those little car air fresheners so it smells real."

Slowing to a stop, Jack looked back at her in the mirror. "You think we c'n fool Mom with somethin' like that?"

"They made fake trees look like real trees for a reason," Lucy said. "Get one the right size, we should be good."

Corey nodded. "That logic sounds right."

Traffic started to move again. "How d'we explain how the tree ain't dead after Christmas?" 

The car was quiet for a while as Corey and Lucy thought. Finally, Corey said, "Mom makes us take down the decorations day after Christmas... We could take it out in the backyard and disassemble it."

"Ooh," Lucy said, eyes lighting up. "That's good." 

Jack had to admit, they were definitely better at thinking through harebrained schemes than he'd ever been. And two weeks wasn't _that_ long...

"Alright," he heard himself say. "Let's go get a tree."

He heard Lucy laugh in the backseat, and he glanced back and could see her face illuminated by her phone light. 

"What's so funny, Lucy-Goose?" 

"Oh, nothing. I'm just telling Bee and Harper how you murdered Christmas."

~*~

Jack hated the mall. Always had. Too crowded, layout all over the place, pushy sales people. He just wanted to get their tree and get home. 

Rolling his shoulders tightly, he reached for the first tree in a box he could find.

"No, Daddy, not that one," Lucy said, shaking her head. 

"Wha's wrong with it?" 

"Dad, it's pre-lit."

"And?"

Lucy sighed, tossing her hair in a perfect imitation of her mother. "Mom's like the smartest person we know, she'll notice that the lights are too perfect."

Furrowing his brow, Jack finally nodded. "You're right. Take us t' the unlit trees, Luce."

Grabbing Corey—who looked about as uncomfortable at the mall as Jack felt—and Jack's hands in hers, Lucy dragged them down the aisle.

An hour later, they had gotten their new—fake—tree home, stripped the old one of lights and ornaments, and Lucy had started setting up the tree while Jack and Corey took out the dead one.

"See?" she said, gesturing to the tree when they came back into the house. "Can't tell it's fake."

Jack had to admit she was right. It definitely didn't look totally real, but it didn't look plastic. "'Kay, Corey, ya wanna go grab the broom an' clean up 'round here. Lucy, you an' me'll do the lights."

Lucy handed him the end of the string of lights and they began winding the lights around the branches.

"The air fresheners was a nice touch, Luce," Jack said.

She shrugged. "Figured if it could trick Michael Scott, it could trick Mom well enough."

"Not sure that's th' best comparison, but I like where ya head's at. Thank god you kids got'cha mother's brains." He waited for the lights to be handed back to him. "Uh, Luce, what's takin' ya so long with your half?"

She leaned around the tree to give him a look that proved she got more than just Katherine's brain. "Daddy. We gotta make it _look_ like the tree she left. Mom's side is always really nice—you know what? Corey, you come do this. Dad, you're demoted to broom duty."

Scoffing, Jack let her have this one, stepping aside to let Corey take over. "Ya know, people say Pete's the most like ya mom, but I think they's got it wrong," he muttered. 

He couldn't tell if she actually couldn't hear him, or if she was doing another impression of Kath by pretending she couldn't hear him.

As Lucy and Corey put the finishing touches on the tree, and Jack had finished cleaning up in the living room, the front door opened, the snow blowing in with Katherine and Pete. 

"'Ay, lookit what the storm blew in!" Jack said, grinning and moving to wrap Katherine in a hug. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Corey and Lucy do the same to Pete. 

"Guys, I was home three weeks ago," he groaned from the force of two clingy Kellys. 

"You were home for _one day_," Lucy insisted, squeezing him tighter. After Kath, Lucy had taken Pete leaving the hardest.

Leaning down, Jack kissed Katherine, feeling the chill from outside still clinging to her. "Mm. Cold," he said, pulling back and brushing the snow from her hair. "How was Vermont?" 

She sighed. "Cold. Somber. Glad to be home." Kissing him once more, Katherine moved to hug Lucy and Corey. "Hey! Oh, I missed you guys. You too, college boy, come here," she added, pulling Pete in for a hug too. "Okay, I'm going to take my coat off, get some coffee, and you three catch me up. I feel like I missed too much in the last week—"

"Whaddaya think'a the tree?" Corey blurted out, and Lucy jammed her elbow in his side.

Katherine looked confused, but turned to look at the tree. "It's... fine? Looks the same as when I left," she said, tousling his hair.

"Good, yeah, good," Corey nodded. "'Cause it is, y'know, the same, the tree's the same, it's—"

"We'll get your coffee, Mom," Lucy said in an overly-cheerful voice, latching on to Corey's arm. "You sit down, I'm sure you're tired from the trip," she said over her shoulder as she steered her brother into the kitchen.

"O-okay?" Katherine said, shooting Jack a look as she pulled her gloves off and sat on the couch. 

He shrugged. "I'll make sure Lucy doesn't touch ya coffee," he said, squeezing her shoulder and hugging Pete. "Hey, kid. Survive finals okay?" 

Pete nodded, looking way more pale and tired than he had at Thanksgiving. "Yeah, won't know grades for a couple days, but I'm just glad to be out of the dorm. And the library. Haven't seen any other place in two weeks."

Jack shoved him lightly towards the couch. "Well, now ya home. Take a load off. An' move ya bag 'fore bed so no one breaks their neck trippin' over it."

"He means him," he heard Katherine say as he rounded the corner into the kitchen where Corey and Lucy were arguing over the coffee pot. 

"Well _I_ think we pulled it off," Corey said, as they filled the coffee mugs.

"No thanks to _you_," Lucy said, dumping more sugar than looked healthy in her mug. "If you mentioned the tree any more, Mom'd think something weird was going on."

"She's _Mom_, when is she not thinkin' somethin' weird's goin' on?" Corey said.

Jack nudged Corey with his elbow. "Alright, I think we c'n agree, neither one'a them seemed to notice it was a new tree. Now give 'em their coffee before they spend too long wit' it an' notice somethin's wrong."

Back in the living room, Pete was kicking off his shoes and settling on the couch next to Katherine. "You know they definitely let the tree die and had to get a new one, right?"

Katherine nodded. "Did you catch the fact that it's a fake tree?" 

He gasped softly, turning to look at the tree. "Wait, really? You can hardly tell."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jack tells Katherine the day after Christmas. Corey tells Pete approximately three hours later. Lucy is unimpressed by their secret-keeping abilities.
> 
> Lucy plays the drums in high school band, she's definitely about to perform in a Christmas concert at school. I imagine her being like Lane in Gilmore Girls, taking her drumsticks everywhere and playing them on whatever sits still long enough.
> 
> We have a "dad" driver at work and I'm convinced he's Jack Kelly, he was the one to say all malls needed to die.
> 
> I'd love to know what you think!!  
xx


	5. Christmas Up in Smoke (part 1/?)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected crisis leaves Jack, Katherine, and their kids without a home for Christmas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So if you were around two years ago, for the OG Christmas fic, there was a throwaway line in one of the chapters about "We don't need another Christmas going up in flames". 
> 
> And for two years it has _driven. me. crazy._ For two years. Throwaway lines are supposed to drive _you all_ crazy, not me, but I never knew what I meant.
> 
> So I finally wrote it. Do with it what you will.

Jack hung up his phone, scrubbing his face with a hand. “That was the station,” he said gruffly.

Katherine looked up from the table, where she was holding Lucy. “What’d they say?”

He sighed, sitting between her and Davey at the table, reaching for the mug in front of him. “I can go in tomorrow, get a few things we need, but the apartment ain’t liveable for a couple weeks.”

“I can watch the kids tomorrow,” Davey offered. “That way you both can go, get twice your stuff.”

“Are you sure, Davey?” Katherine asked. “You’ve already done enough.”

He waved off her worries. “It’s fine. Sarah’s coming over tomorrow, we can tag-team.”

Jack rubbed his eye tiredly. There was too much to consider and it was nearing three in the morning now. As he took a sip from his mug, he wondered if it was crazy to be drinking coffee so early in the morning. Or late at night? The coffee was messing with his head, Jack thought, and pushed the mug away. “Thanks Davey. ‘Preciate ya lettin’ us stay. We’ll be outta ya hair soon ‘nough.”

“Don’t worry ‘bout it,” Davey said, standing and collecting their coffee mugs to take them to the sink. “Seriously, I know the two’a you don’t know how to ask for help, but stay as long as ya want.”

Katherine smiled, looking as tired as Jack felt. “Davey, there’s five of us, plus you, in a two bedroom apartment. We appreciate it, but we can’t put you out for two weeks.”

“Well.” Davey shrugged, rinsing out the mugs. “Don’t make any decisions tonight. Get some sleep and we can figure it out tomorrow.”

Jack and Katherine murmured twin goodnights as Davey passed them to go to his room, leaving them alone at the kitchen table with their daughter as their boys snored on the couch. He dropped his head on the table, turning so he could still see Katherine.

“Well,” she said, straightening Lucy’s blanket a little. “Some Christmas this is turning out to be.”

Reaching for her hand, Jack smoothed his thumb over her knuckles. "Yeah," he sighed. 

~*~

_There was a weight pressing down on her chest as she furrowed her brow, idly wondering if Corey had crawled out of bed and come to sleep with them. Ever since they moved him into Pete's room to make his old room Lucy's room, he hadn't been sleeping well. _

_Katherine opened her eyes, but couldn't see anything in the dark room. She coughed, hands searching the blankets for Corey, but couldn't find him. Her eyes still hadn't adjusted to the dark, but they were starting to sting and water. _

_She sat up, trying to find her bearings. It was uncomfortably warm and she couldn't stop coughing. And even as she sat up, the weight was still pressing on her chest. If it wasn't Corey, she had no idea what it was._

_"Jack?" she said, coughing. Reaching out a hand, Katherine shook his shoulder. "Jack, wake up, something's—"_

_A loud, high-pitched beeping sounded then, followed quickly by Lucy. Then Corey. Then Pete. _

_Then Jack, startling awake. "Wha'? Wha's happenin'?"_

_Katherine still couldn't make him out in the dark, not with the strange haze and her tears blurring her vision. Suddenly all the pieces suddenly clicked into place. "Oh, my god, the apartment's on fire!"_

~*~

“We could stay with my parents,” Katherine offered half-heartedly. Jack made a half-whining sound. “I know, but they have the room and they can watch the kids while we’re at work. Mom might actually be thrilled, she's always saying she wished she saw the kids more.”

“‘M just thinkin’a the commute," he said, trying for convincing. "Pete’s got a week left’a school, an’ ya folks’re all the way Upstate.”

“It’s the last week, how much can a kindergartner miss?” Katherine pointed out. “The school would understand, right?”

Jack shrugged. “The party on Friday?”

“Oh yeah,” Katherine wrinkled her nose. “Maybe after this week. Who else can we ask until then?”

He sighed. “Medda’s ‘bout as far as your folks, an’ everyone else we know’s gotta smaller place than Davey.”

They drove for a while in silence, thinking. “We could go to a hotel,” she finally suggested.

“What’s that gonna run us? Even with bonuses?”

Katherine shrugged. “We could ask my parents?”

Jack shot her a look. “What’s that gonna run us?” he repeated.

“Look, I don’t like the idea any more than you do," she admitted. "But we’re running out of options, honey.”

Their conversation continued, going back and forth, over pros and cons of asking her parents for the money, up the elevator to their apartment. Theirs was easy to spot, with the firefighters entering and exiting the open door.

The argument died as they neared the door and Jack got the attention of the nearest firefighter.

“Uh, Jack an’ Katherine Kelly? This’s our place.”

He nodded and gestured to the open door. “You can go on in, Mr. Kelly. Damage is mostly contained to the master bed and bathroom, little bit in the hallway. Try no tot spend too much time in the master bedroom, we’re still clearing out the smoke.”

“Do you know how it started?” Katherine asked, hand sliding up to hold Jack’s arm.

“Exact cause is still unknown, give us a couple days and we’ll know.”

Jack nodded, and Katherine tugged on his arm, pulling him into the apartment. The living room still looked the same, the Christmas tree up and decorated, packages still wrapped, stockings hung up by the fireplace. It was startlingly normal and serene compared to the chaos last night, with the alarm blaring and the kids crying.

Katherine took a deep breath. “I’ll get Lucy’s things, can you get the boys—”

Her question faltered as they turned the corner, into the hallway, where it told a vastly different story. The walls were blackened about halfway up, getting darker and higher the closer they got to their bedroom.

“Ya know, the kids’re really the ones who need anythin’…” Jack started.

“Yeah, and I can borrow some clothes from Sarah,” Katherine added. “No need to actually go in. Except…”

“Yup. All the luggage is our closet,” he sighed. “Spot an’ Race don’t live too far ‘way.”

“Albert’s closer,” she pointed out.

Jack scoffed. “Ya ever seen Al move? He shoves everythin’ in Hefty trash bags. An’ he’d prob’ly charge us f’r takin’ the bags from him.”

Sighing, Katherine slid her arms around his waist. “You know, Davey’s right. We are bad at asking for help.”

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Yeah. Don’t’cha hate when he does that?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love to tell you what’s exactly happening but. Then I wouldn’t have to post tomorrow’s chapter so. Sorry?
> 
> I’d love to know what you think!!
> 
> xx


	6. Update

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not a new chapter, just a general life and story update

Hey everyone.

This was not an easy decision to come to and I’m even having trouble typing this now, but I will not be continuing the Christmas fic. I’m just... I’m having trouble trying to figure out if I’m writing because I really want to or if I’m writing because it feels like it’s expected of me, and truth is it’s a little of both. I want to write it, but every chapter feels like so much work, and the chapters I have put out feel rushed and not my best work. 

(like Punksies? There was supposed to a whole chapter where Davey and Katherine were fielding questions about how to act at a fancy party, they were supposed to spend more than fifteen minutes at the party, and Joe was not supposed to _that_ much of an ass)

You guys don’t deserve subpar work and, honestly, I don’t deserve to feel like my work is shit. So I’m going to clean up the couple of stories I have in _What the Elf? _and post them separately, and if I write more Christmas stories, that’d be great, I do have ideas I’d love to write more, but I can’t commit to 25 chapters this year. I’m sorry, I hope you all understand.

xx


End file.
